334 Cepheus — Standard Adventure Template

For Use With: 334 Cepheus and other Cepheus Engine Compatible Games
Template Version: 1.0
License: Open Game Content (OGL 1.0a) — see end of document.

Boilerplate Advisory Text

What This Template Is

This document is a standardized adventure template for 334 Cepheus and compatible 2D6 science-fiction roleplaying games. It is designed to help writers, referees, and publishers produce consistent, complete, and playable adventures with minimal friction.

The template uses the 5-Node Mission structure (Hook, Investigation, Complication, Climax, Fallout) and includes integrated safety tools, content guidance, and mechanical notation standards. You may use this template for personal games, convention modules, or commercial publication.

Content Warnings & Safety Tools

Before running any adventure, the Referee should:

1. Review all content for themes that may distress players (violence, body horror, slavery, torture, psychological manipulation, loss of agency, etc.).
2. Provide a content warning at the start of the session or document. Example:

   "This adventure contains themes of corporate exploitation, body horror, and claustrophobic environments. Let me know if you would like any content toned down or removed."

3. Establish safety tools at the table. Recommended:
   • The X-Card: Any player may tap a card (or say "X-Card") to immediately remove or fade-to-black any content without explanation or debate.
   • Lines and Veils: Before play, discuss hard lines (content that will never appear) and veils (content that happens off-screen, described vaguely, or handled abstractly).
   • Open Door: Any player may leave the table at any time, no questions asked.

As the writer of this adventure, you should:

• Mark explicit or potentially distressing scenes with [CW: description].
• Provide alternative resolutions for violent or coercive scenes where possible.
• Never require player characters to commit atrocities to advance the plot.

How to Use This Template

1. Read the entire template first. Understand the flow before filling in details.
2. Fill in each bracketed section [LIKE THIS]. Replace placeholder text with your own content.
3. Maintain mechanical consistency. Use 334 Cepheus notation for skills, difficulties, and damage.
4. Keep it playable at a glance. A referee running this cold should be able to adjudicate any scene without flipping pages.
5. Include a dramatis personae. Every named NPC should have a one-line motivation and a stat block or reference.
6. Test your numbers. A party of 4–5 characters with average skills should have a reasonable chance of success without requiring specific equipment or powers.

Notation Standards

[ADVENTURE TITLE]

For [#] Player Characters of [Skill Level / Terms of Experience]
Duration: [Estimated sessions or hours]
Setting: [World name, system, or generic]
Tone: [Gritty / Pulpy / Horror / Political / Exploration]
Content Warnings: [List explicit themes here]

The Pitch

[One to three sentences summarizing the adventure. This should grab attention and communicate the core premise immediately.]

Example: A corporate research station has gone silent. The crew was studying something in the ice. Your job is to find out why the transmissions stopped—and why the last message was just screaming.

Background for the Referee

[What happened before the players arrived? Explain the full situation, including secrets the players will uncover. This section is for the Referee only.]

Timeline of Events

1. [Time ago]: [Event that started the situation.]
2. [Time ago]: [Escalation or complication.]
3. [Present]: [The situation as the players find it.]
4. [Near Future]: [What will happen if the players do nothing.]

The Truth

[The complete, unvarnished truth of the matter. All secrets revealed.]

Dramatis Personae

[NPC Name 1: The Antagonist / Patron / Ally]

Skills: [Skill]-#, [Skill]-#, [Skill]-#
Stamina: # | Lifeblood: #
Gear: [Weapon], [Armor], [Key item]
Motivation: [One sentence driving this character.]
Secret: [Something the players may discover.]

[NPC Name 2]

[Same format.]

[NPC Name 3]

[Same format.]

The 5-Node Mission

NODE 1: THE HOOK

How the players learn about the job.

[Describe the scene where the adventure begins. Include sensory details, the NPC delivering the hook, and what is being asked of the players.]

Read-aloud text for the players.

The Offer

• Employer: [Name, faction, or anonymous contact]
• Payment: [Cr amount, plus non-monetary rewards]
• Upfront: [Cr amount paid before departure, if any]
• Expenses: [What the employer covers: fuel, gear, legal fees?]
• Timeline: [How long do the players have?]
• Legal Status: [Is this above-board, gray-market, or illegal?]

What the Players Are Told

[Bullet points of the cover story or initial briefing. Include at least one lie, omission, or misunderstanding.]

What the Players Are Not Told

[Bullet points of critical information withheld from the players.]

Referee Notes

• [How does the employer react to negotiation?]
• [What happens if the players refuse the job?]
• [Are there competing offers?]

NODE 2: INVESTIGATION

Gathering information before acting.

[The players should have multiple avenues to learn what they are walking into. Provide at least three.]

Avenue A: [Method, e.g., "Dockside Rumors"]

• Skill: [Skill, e.g., Streetwise] TN [8+]
• Time: [Duration]
• Cost: [Cr amount or risk]
• Success: [What the players learn.]
• Exceptional Success: [Bonus information.]
• Failure: [False lead, dead end, or complication.]

Avenue B: [Method, e.g., "Hacking the Employer"]

[Same format.]

Avenue C: [Method, e.g., "Scout the Location"]

[Same format.]

Avenue D: [Optional fourth method]

[Same format.]

Referee Notes

• [What happens if the players skip investigation and go in blind?]
• [Can the players learn the full truth here, or only partial truths?]
• [Are there red herrings? How are they resolved?]

NODE 3: COMPLICATION

The situation is worse than advertised.

[This is the midpoint twist. The job changes, the target moves, or a third party enters. The players must adapt.]

Read-aloud text describing the moment the complication is revealed.

The Twist

[What has changed? Be specific.]

New Stakes

[What do the players stand to lose if they fail or withdraw?]

New Opportunities

[What do the players gain if they adapt cleverly?]

Referee Notes

• [How do the NPCs react to the complication?]
• [Is there a time pressure introduced here?]
• [Can the players turn the complication to their advantage?]

NODE 4: THE CLIMAX

The decisive confrontation.

[This is the set-piece. A heist, a battle, a negotiation, or a revelation. Provide a map or scene description, enemy positions, and environmental hazards.]

Scene: [Location Name]

Read-aloud description.

Environmental Conditions:

• [Lighting, gravity, atmosphere, temperature]
• [Cover and terrain]
• [Hazards: vacuum, radiation, collapse, fire]

Opposition:

Key Objects / Locations:

• [Object]: [Description, purpose, and any skill check to use or bypass.]
• [Location]: [Description and significance.]

Resolution Paths

[Provide at least two ways to resolve the climax.]

Path A: [Violent / Direct]

• [What happens if the players attack or force their way through?]
• [Enemy reinforcements?]
• [Collateral damage?]

Path B: [Stealth / Deception]

• [What happens if the players infiltrate or bluff?]
• [Detection thresholds?]
• [Escape routes?]

Path C: [Diplomatic / Technical]

• [What happens if the players negotiate, hack, or engineer a solution?]
• [Who can be reasoned with?]
• [What is the price of peace?]

Referee Notes

• [What happens if the players are captured?]
• [What happens if the players flee?]
• [Is there a ticking clock?]

NODE 5: THE FALLOUT

Consequences of their choices.

[The adventure does not end when the shooting stops. Detail the aftermath.]

Payment

• If successful: [Full payment, bonus, or non-monetary reward.]
• If partial success: [Reduced payment, favor owed, or damaged reputation.]
• If failure: [Debt, bounty, or enemy gained.]

Reputation

• Who knows what happened? [Factions, media, law enforcement.]
• How does this affect future jobs? [Allies impressed, enemies made, doors opened or closed.]

Legal

• Warrants issued? [If the job was illegal or messy.]
• Bounties? [If someone was left alive and angry.]
• Pardons or commendations? [If the job served the powers that be.]

Personal

• Crew relationships: [Did anyone betray, save, or disappoint another?]
• Psychological scars: [Did anyone suffer Integrity loss, Burn, or trauma?]
• Loose ends: [What was left unresolved?]

Cosmic / Campaign Impact

• What did the players unleash or prevent?
• How does this change the sector?
• What hooks does this create for future adventures?

Optional: Random Encounters & Complications

Travel Encounters

Roll 1D6 when entering the system, or once per week in transit:

Complication Table

Roll 1D66 when the session needs a jolt:

Maps & Handouts

[Map 1: Location Name]

[Describe or attach a map. Include scale, compass direction, and key locations numbered 1–6.]

[Handout 1: Document / Image / Data]

[Text of a document the players might find.]

Rewards Summary

Open Game License Notice

[Adventure Title] is copyright [Year] by [Author Name].

This product uses the 334 Cepheus ruleset and is compatible with the Cepheus Engine and other 2D6 science-fiction roleplaying games.

Open Game Content: All game mechanics, stat blocks, skill references, difficulty targets, damage values, and procedural text in this adventure are designated as Open Game Content under the Open Game License v1.0a.

Product Identity: The title [Adventure Title], all proper nouns (names of worlds, factions, NPCs, and organizations invented for this adventure), flavor text, read-aloud passages, and the narrative structure of this adventure are designated as Product Identity and are NOT Open Game Content.

Copyright Notice:

Open Game License v 1.0a Copyright 2000, Wizards of the Coast, Inc.

Cepheus Engine System Reference Document Copyright 2016, Samardan Press; Author Jason "Flynn" Kemp.

334 Cepheus Copyright 2026, 334 Cepheus Authors.

[Adventure Title] Copyright [Year], [Author Name].

End of Template